TUESDAY'S SCORES
Eastern Illinois 4, @No. 22 Illinois 3
EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, ILLINOIS 3
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois softball team picked up a win in their final road game of the season downing No. 22 Illinois 4-3 Tuesday evening.
With the win EIU improves to 26-18 on the year while Illinois drops to 35-13.
Jessica Wireman earned the win on the mound closing out the game with two strikeouts over the final four innings.
Haley Mitchell finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the team.
The Panthers jumped out in front early with back-to-back singles from Kayla Bear and Taylor Monahan to open the first inning. After both runners advanced off a wild pitch, Amber Toenyes singled through the right side to give EIU a 1-0 lead.
EIU added to their lead in the third inning as Mitchell doubled to right field to push Monahan to third base. Monahan scored on the following at-bat as a passed ball allowed her to score the unearned run to make it 2-0.
Illinois got on the board in the bottom of the inning after loading the bases with two outs. UI's Rowan McGuire singled up the middle, but Illinois could only get one run across as Bear was able to throw out Annie Fleming at home to end the inning with the score at 2-1.
The Illini tied it up in the bottom of the fourth inning with three straight singles to knot the game at 2-2 and force EIU to bring in Wireman to replace Michelle Rogers on the mound.
Andrea Roberts earned the pivotal RBI in the sixth inning coming in to pinch hit and smashing a double to center field to score Maria DeVito. Roberts advanced to third on the play off a throwing error only to be brought home by a sacrifice fly from Bear on the following at-bat to make it 4-2.
Illinois threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning putting runners on the corners with one out. McGuire hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Alexis Carillo from third base and cut EIU's lead to 4-3, but the Panther defense was able to close out the inning to earn the win.